growing up

Yes, that’s a 30 Rock reference/play on words. I get the impression I’m going to need my sense of humor for this little endeavor. What is it? I’m going to try to bring a little rural into this suburban townhome. I want to be more self sufficient and healthy. Doing things myself has just always been my way (read: stubborn). I have spent my life living in the suburbs of one the nation’s largest cities so I’ve had all the conveniences I could ask for. I used to wonder how people who didn’t live within 15 miles of a Target survived. This is my attempt at figuring that out. So I’ll be chronicling my journey to independence here. You are welcome to revel in my successes and commiserate my losses.

This journey is also partially the result of hearing whispers (sometimes screams) that the progress we’ve made as a human race hasn’t been entirely positive. Things like fluoride in toothpaste or pasteurized milk might not be as good for us as we thought. One of my goals is to find out for myself whether or not these claims are true.

The general idea is becoming more independent and knowledgeable in a few key areas:

Home

Health

Home:

I live in a townhome built in 1976. It has had very few upgrades since then so it’s more than a little rough around the edges. My 4 roommates and I are charged with fixing it up. From wallpaper removal, new flooring and maintenance, we are going to learn to be homeowners.

Health:

Who couldn’t use a healthier lifestyle? Well, we definitely could. I’m going to figure out which habits/foods/products are helpful/harmful. I also want to learn to grow, process, preserve and prepare my own food.

I understand that this is a lot to take on. It will be challenging but hopefully rewarding. I am lucky to have some supportive family and a house full of people just as ignorant as I am to try this stuff out with.